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Rates of exclusive breast-feeding increased when primary care practices instituted a clinical protocol based on the Academy of Breastfeeding Medicine's "The Breastfeeding-Friendly Physician's Office, Part 1," according to a study led by nurse practitioner and lactation consultant Sharon Corriveau and colleagues at Loudoun Pediatric Associates in Leesburg, Va. Rates of exclusive breast-feeding were at least 10 percentage points higher in the group that received lactation support than in the group that did not, the researchers report in the journal Pediatrics.

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Legislation reauthorizing the Federal Aviation Administration that includes a provision requiring large and medium hub airports to install lactation rooms for breast-feeding mothers within the next two years was approved by the Senate. The American Academy of Pediatrics and the American Academy of Family Physicians expressed support for the breast-feeding measures.

Visits before and after birth by lactation consultants paired with electronic prompts for health care providers to discuss breast-feeding during office visits were associated with increased exclusive breast-feeding rates at 3 months of age, compared with standard prenatal care, U.S. researchers found. The study in the American Journal of Public Health found that frequent breast-feeding at three months postpartum was more prevalent among women who spent a couple of hours with a lactation consultant or had consultation plus electronic prompts.

CDC researchers surveyed 1,177 mothers about their breast-feeding patterns and found that 60% of them decided to stop breast-feeding earlier than desired. The leading concerns of these mothers were lactating problems, maternal and infant health issues, and milk-pumping difficulties, according to the study published in Pediatrics.

A study in Pediatrics of 770 working women found that many women did not continue exclusive breast-feeding for six months. Full-time workers who had short maternity leaves were most likely to quit breast-feeding early, while women with more workplace benefits were more likely to continue breast-feeding, researchers said.

Lactation consultants and nurses in maternity units have a key role in helping new mothers succeed at breast-feeding their babies. RN and lactation consultant Joy Kanevski of Durango, Colo., says nurses can help new mothers by encouraging them to breast-feed several times in the first 24 hours, training in breast-feeding techniques and working medical procedures around breast-feeding times.